Although the prior art has contemplated various and diverse wheeled cable pullers, none have contemplated the system of the present invention.
The following patents are considered to be at least of general pertinence to the present invention:
______________________________________ Patent Number Inventor Date of Issue ______________________________________ 5,284,323 Pawkett 02/08/1994 5,217,176 Hall 06/08/1993 5,199,659 Ziliblich, Jr. 04/06/1993 5,197,716 Zibilich, Jr. et al 03/30/1993 4,596,492 Monti et al 06/24/1986 4,581,723 Savit 04/08/1986 4,570,245 Thigpen 02/11/1986 4,540,159 Jordan 09/10/1985 4,676,483 Magill 06/30/1987 4,581,723 Savit 04/08/1986 4,254,940 Thyvold 03/10/1981 3,843,096 Wilson, deceased et al 10/22/1974 3,719,348 Wells 03/06/1973 3,630,461 Suganti et al 12/28/1971 3,448,962 Miller 06/10/1969 3,093,333 Bishop 06/11/1963 2,659,549 Galin 11/17/1953 1,703,777 Pernot 02/26/1929 ______________________________________
U.S. Pat. No. 4,570,245, issued 1986 teaches in column 3, discussion of FIG. 3 (line 8) a tensiometer 32 comprising a sheave communicating with a cable, the sheave situated upon a linear path, and traversing that path in order to maintain constant tension on said cable. U.S. Pat. No. 4,581,723 teaches in large part the same invention as '245, and is attributed to the same inventor.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,540, 159 teaches a cable tensioner operating along the same lines, but with vertical rather than horizontal linear movement of the sheaves. U.S. Pat. No. 3,448,962 also contemplates a vertically traversing sheave for tensioning.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,093,333, issued 1963, teaches a cable handling vessel having a retrieval ramp (5), a cable retrieval engine (4), and means to stow the cable below deck. Also included is a discussion (cols 1,2) of "lump" storage of cable on the deck.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,703,777 also contemplates a submarine cable deployment, retrieval system, including cable guide means for stowing same below deck. Also discussed is the problems with stowing cable in "lumps", and the associated tangling and knotting therewith.
The remaining patents teach various distinguishable systems for tensioning seismic cable or the like.
As may be discerned by a review of the above patents, the prior art has failed to teach a cable handling system which is specifically configured to easily and without manual intervention deploy and retrieve seismic cable, even in high seas.
Further, the prior art has failed to teach or contemplate a cable puller which can effectively pull the full length of seismic cable, including the connectors, without having to adjust the wheel pullers.
Lastly, the prior art has failed to teach or contemplate a cable trolley system which effectively directs cable into the main deck in lump storage, without knotting or binding.